Togo players want to stay at African Cup of Nations

TOGO players now want to stay at the African Cup of Nations and play as a tribute to the three who lost their lives during a gun attack on their team bus.

SHOCKED: Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor in the moments after the gun attack on the Togo team bus in Angola

But - with just over 24 hours to their opening fixture against Ghana - the Togolese government has insisted the team's safety must come first and have demanded they return home immediately.

Assistant coach Amalete Abalo and press officer Stanislaud Ocloo, plus the bus driver, died in the attack by separatist rebels in Cabinda, a troubled province of Angola.

Manchester City had said that Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor was returning home but the £25 million signing has since confirmed his intention to stay in Angola.

"In memory of the dead, the national team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup," said striker Thomas Dossevi.

"We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men.

"It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team, which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities."

Meanwhile, injured goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale is in a stable condition at a South African hospital in Johannesburg where he was expected to undergo surgery today.